The iconic historic Jubilbeeb disaster: is it all over for the monarchy or for the national broadcaster?

In the travesty that was their coverage of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, the BBC seemed to be trying to say (or yell) ‘this is the PEOPLE’s celebration’, since they spent more time in street interviews, asking the same banal questions over and over. Quite apart from an informal competition on who could blurt out the words ‘iconic’ and ‘historic’ most often in a thirty-second sound-bite. ITV’s coverage was much better – they informed, educated and entertained – as the BEEB once pledged to do. Have they become even more remote since they moved up to Salford? Or have they given up on being the national broadcaster?

As part of their widely-admired Jubilee coverage, and in line with their balkanising ‘diversity’ approach, the BBC gave a respectful interview to the relatively tiny republican ‘Don’t Jubilee’ve It’ protest against the monarchy. The protest was based, apparently, on ‘freedom and equality’ – but if they managed to get rid of the monarchy (they did not say how, and were not asked) would they really extend the same ‘freedom and equality’ to monarchists? Under our ‘repressive’ and ‘unequal’ Monarchy, the Tower of London, which during the Jubilee River Pageant Her Majesty sailed so serenely past, is empty of prisoners; can we believe that it would remain so under a ‘tolerant, free and equal’ Republic?

A Telegraph reader asked whether it was too late to re-commission the Royal Yacht Britannia; perhaps a public appeal should be launched as a special thank you to the Queen for sixty years of selfless service. The anti-monarchist campaign will no doubt increase the volume after the bunting has come down and the Jubilee celebrants have gone home – they will not easily forgive the humiliating marginalisation of their campaign, as huge numbers took to the streets to demonstrate their love for the Queen – a public demonstration of support that Republicans would give their eye-teeth for. But, being a tiny unrepresentative minority, they can rely on the BBC for a disproportionate share of publicity. Hopefully the Queen will not need the Yacht for a swift getaway, but who knows? Let’s hope the Duke of Edinburgh recovers quickly – his navigation skills may be needed sooner than we think.